List of Festivals at Donington Park

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Since 1980, Donington Park has played host to many rock festivals. The venue, located near Castle Donington in central England has built itself a reputation as the 'spiritual home of British hard rock'. Though other festivals have taken place there, the two most notable were annual offerings of Monsters of Rock and Download Festival.

Contents

History

Monsters of Rock: 1980 to 1996

Monsters of Rock was the first major festival event at Donington Park. It was regular, with few cancellations throughout its run. In 1988, due to poor conditions, two fans were killed after being crushed to death during Guns N' Roses set. This led to the festival's first cancellation in 1989. Cancellation happened again in 1993, and in 1997. Plans for expanding the one-day festival into three days had been set out for 1997 before its cancellation.

After huge success in the 1980s, the early 1990s saw the festival face a slow decline. Difficulty to find a powerful headline act was the reason for the 1993 cancellation. In 1995, without a major act willing to play the festival was on the verge of being cancelled again. Metallica were persuaded to play, but the festival was to be called 'Escape from the Studio '95', with major contributions to the organisation by the band in exchange for their services.

Metallica Escape from the Studio '95

Taking the place of a Monsters of Rock 1995 was a Metallica organised festival as part of their 'Escape from the Studio '95' tour. The show was considered the official Monsters of Rock 1995 show by bands playing, including Metallica. If the organisers of Monsters of Rock had not been struggling to find a headliner for the festival, they would not have allowed Metallica to present the festival as its own and controlled the event so much. In 1996, Monsters of Rock would return - for the last time. Their 'Escape from the Studio '06' festival tour also covered the venue, arriving at the Download Festival though this was not a Metallica organised festival.

One Step Beyond (1992)

In July 1992 the dance organization Fantazia held a legal rave at the park. Official figures state 25,000 in attendance, though it is known by authorities that several thousand more gained entrance, making it the largest event of its kind in the UK. With a stage decorated as a castle, One Step Beyond hosted over 60 DJ's producing several live albums and an official live DVD. [1]

A Day at the Races (2001)

To promote their new album, Just Enough Education to Perform, Stereophonics staged a two-day festival called "A Day at the Races" with the first day at Donington and the second at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The concerts were supported by Ash, Black Crowes, Proud Mary and The Crocketts with the latter venue performance being released on DVD.

Rock and Blues Festival (2001)

A two-day event was held in 2001 featuring blues rock bands for the most part. It was aimed at an older audience who would have been around during the genre's heyday which had ended at the dawn of the 1990s. The Saturday saw Hawkwind playing with Meat Loaf, Eddie and the Hot Rods and Stone while the Sunday saw UFO and Uli Jon Roth playing with Wishbone Ash, Company Of Snakes (a band featuring ex-members of Whitesnake), and Deborah Bonham (sister of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham).

Ozzfest 2002

The largely America-based tour, organized by Ozzy Osbourne and wife, Sharon Osbourne, first brought the festival to the UK in 1998 but it was not until 2002 that the event was held at Donington featuring two stages on one day. The main stage was located in the traditional position inside the circuit with the second stage being located inside the exhibition hall. Ozzfest 2002 was headlined by Ozzy but did not return to Donington until 2005 when the festival cooperated with Live Nation UK to make the Download Festival a three-day event, which saw Ozzy once again headline this time with Black Sabbath.

Download Festival 2003 to present

After the decline of British hard rock music in the early 90s in the face of grunge rock, and with the late 90s rise of synthetic pop music further hampering the genre, Monsters of Rock had been forced to stop. Promoters were wary of booking two large rock festivals, fearing customers would be spread between Donington and the Ozzfest. When proposed Ozzfests were cancelled to continue their more lucrative US run, fans were left with nothing. By 2003 however, hard rock was growing again and Live Nation decided to resurrect the Monsters of Rock of old, under a new name - Download Festival. The festival was a runaway success, and lasted followed 1997's plans to extend Monsters of Rock to two days rather than the single day Monsters of Rock always had. The festival continues to this day.

In 2005, when the Ozzfest tour decided to perform at Donington it picked a Saturday in the middle of Download Festival. Following this, Download has always been a three-day event. See notes on Ozzfest below.

1980s

YearDateEventDaysStagesActsAttendanceRecordings
198016 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage8 bands36,000 [2]
198122 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage6 bands65,000 [3]
  • Blackfoot - "Dry County/Hard To Handle" (Single)
198221 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage6 bands34,000 [4]
198320 AugustMonsters of Rock [5] 1 day1 stage6 bands40,000
198418 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage7 bands65,000 [6]
198517 AugustZZ Top: Rocking the Castle1 day1 stage6 bands50,000 [7]
198616 AugustMonsters of Rock [8] 1 day1 stage6 bands40,000
198722 AugustMonsters of Rock [9]
1 day1 stage6 bands66,000
198820 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage6 bands107,000 [10]

1990s

YearDateEventDaysStagesActsAttendanceRecordings
199018 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage5 bands72,500 [11]
199117 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage5 bands72,500 [12]
199225–26 JulyOne Step Beyond24 hours1 stage60+ DJ's28,000 [13]
22 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day1 stage6 bands68,500 [14]
19944 JuneMonsters of Rock1 day2 stages12 bands55,000
199526 AugustMetallica: Escape from the Studio1 day1 stage9 bands65,000
199617 AugustMonsters of Rock1 day2 stages13 bands50,000

2000s

YearDateEventDaysStagesActsAttendanceRecordings
200123 JuneRock & Blues Festival [15] [16] 2 days1 stage6 bands
14 JulyA Day at the Races [17]
1 day1 stage5 bands
200225 May Ozzfest 20021 day2 stages24 bands
200331 May - 1 June Download Festival ft. Deconstruction Festival [18] 2 days2 stages57 bands
20045–6 JuneDownload Festival [19] 2 days3 stages73 bands
200510–12 JuneDownload Festival with Ozzfest [20] 3 days3 stages99 bands
20069–11 JuneDownload Festival [21] 3 days4 stages106 bands
20078–10 JuneDownload Festival [22] 3 days3 stages101 bands
200813–15 JuneDownload Festival [23] 3 days3 stages100 bands
200914–16 JuneDownload Festival [24] 3 days4 stages132 bands.80,000

2010s

YearDateEventDaysStagesActsAttendanceRecordings
201011–13 JuneDownload Festival3 days5 stages (+ AC/DC stage)100+
201110–12 JuneDownload Festival [25] 3 days5 stages100+
20128–10 JuneDownload Festival [26] 3 days5 stages100+
201314–16 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days5 stages100+
201413-15 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days5 stages100+ Rocks Donington
201512-14 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days5 stages100+
201610-12 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days4 stages100+
20179-11 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days4 Stages100+
20188-10 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days4 Stages100+
201914-16 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days4 Stages100+
202012-14 JuneDownload Festival [27] 3 days4 Stages100+

2020s

YearDateEventDaysStagesActsAttendanceRecordingsNotes
202012–14 JuneDownload Festival3 days5 stages100+Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
20214–6 JuneDownload Festival [28] 3 Days5 stages100+Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
202210–12 JuneDownload Festival [28] 3 Days5 stages100+
20238-11 JuneDownload Festival [28] 4 Days5 stages100+100,000+Metallica headlined two nights as part of their M72 World Tour

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Fantazia One Step Beyond, Donnington - Rave / Old Skool / Hardcore". Fantazia.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  2. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1980". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1980-08-16. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  3. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1981". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1982-08-21. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  4. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1982". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1982-08-21. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  5. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1983". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1983-08-20. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  6. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1984". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1984-08-18. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  7. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1985". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1985-08-17. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  8. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1986". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1980-08-17. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  9. ↑ "Monsters of Rock .Castle Donington 1987". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1987-08-22. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  10. ↑ "Monsters of Rock . Castle Donington 1990". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1988-08-20. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  11. ↑ "Monsters of Rock .Castle Donington 1990". Ukrockfestivals.com. 1990-08-18. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  12. ↑ "70,000 People Watched as ACDC Made History In Donington Park 1991". societyofrock.com. 1991-08-17. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  13. ↑ "Fantazia Rave Time Line - Page 1 - 1990-92". Fantazia.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  14. ↑ "Iron Maiden - Live at Donington cd". Department of Ability. 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  15. ↑ "Rock and Blues festival 2001 review page 1". Homepage.ntlworld.com. Archived from the original on 2006-07-02. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  16. ↑ "Uli and UFO at Donington, 23/6/2001". Ufo.dave-wood.org. 2001-06-23. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  17. ↑ "A Day at the Races (Donington) 01 line-up & rumours". Efestivals.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  18. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  19. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  20. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  21. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  22. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  23. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  24. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  25. ↑ "History | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  26. ↑ "Home | Download Festival 2012 | Official Line Up and Tickets for 2012". 2012.downloadfestival.co.uk. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Terms of Use Privacy Policy. "Download Festival 2013 | Official Download Festival Website". Downloadfestival.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-27.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  28. 1 2 3 "Donington Park, 4 - 6 June 2021". Download Festival.
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